Just Call Me Nanashi
by comet01
Summary: 1xR. Heero decides to give up the vagabond life to become a Preventer, where he finds Trowa. Trowa helps Heero find his purpose, while Heero helps Trowa find his humanity. Just as Heero seems to be finding normalcy in his life, in enters Relena. My 1st.
1. Beauty Induces Pain

Just Call Me Nanashi

comet01

Warnings: So far, it's pretty tame. However, this is my first posting, so proceed at your own risk. Some semi-advanced language. Occasional grammatical lapses. Anything in italics is a thought, not someone speaking and not narration. You may get a little lost if you haven't seen/don't remember the duration of the series. Anyways, I think that's about it.

Pairings: Some1xR

PS-I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. I'm not making any money for this.

* * *

Chapter 1-Beauty Induces Pain

At nightfall, the wind had stopped for good, belittled into a floating, harmless breeze. There was a light mist caressing his face, drawing him to the scintillating sky and luminous stars.

Heero Yuy sat alone in the graveyard that night. He leaned against a large tree, allowing for his war-torn body to seek solace from mother nature, and surrender itself to the elements. He soaked in his surroundings, although his only surroundings were subtle grave markers in a sea of beautiful, blood-red roses.

He silently mused to himself about the meaning of roses in a cemetery. He didn't know when, where, or even who had told him this, but the story had burned in his mind for years. "There was one day when I questioned my own importance. I felt insignificant and powerless, as if my life had instantly been stripped of all meaning. But then, I met a beautiful woman. All I had in my hand was one red rose, so I gave it to her. She then dragged me over to this very cemetery and placed it by her mother's grave. She told me how roses were a sign of gratitude for hard work during life, and I alone had repaid her mother's kindness in the afterlife. I ended up marrying that fine lady, and my life has never felt meaningless since. So, whenever you're feeling alone, seek out the roses. You'll never feel alone again." Heero warmly regarded the roses as he thought of the story, and allowed his head to slowly relax against the tree.

Suddenly, the soft mist transformed into a heavy rain shower. Heero grunted as he pulled his knapsack closer, throwing it over his head. _It's not waterproof, but it's all I have._ He moaned and rubbed his back further and further into the tree, with his animalistic survival mechanism making a last ditch attempt to find shelter.

His conscious mind, however, didn't mind the rain. Just two years ago, he had fought in a war. It was a big, long, horrifying war. As nothing more than a 15-year-old boy, he allowed blood to stain his hands. He had to fight for almost a year; fighting in almost any form and any opponent. He gazed at the stars as he thought about the unmanned mobile suits formerly known as Mobile Dolls. He had never felt emptier than when he fought those things; they had stripped all of the integrity and sacredness of their battles. _It's a lie…_His focus turned away from the stars and toward his knapsack. The water was slowly seeping through, and the shower was getting more intense. He shuddered. _Battles never had integrity, and I've never seen a battle as sacred._

Heero was temporarily revived from these dreadful thoughts of war when he heard a loud bang. _Thunder…_He scooted away from the tree in the event lightning struck, leaving himself vulnerable to the brunt of the rain storm.

The cold rain continually beat on his head like a drum, causing the sounds and sights of a death march to enter his subconscious. _War…_His mind burned of guns and mobile suits. Then his mind turned to it…._My Gundam. _He immediately dissolved the image, letting out a soft moan. Excruciating pulses ran through his nerves, the pain intensifying as all of the pulses met up in his brain. He felt his conscious mind losing the battle to his subconscious as more and more destructive images seeped into his head. _The war's over,_ he thought as images entered and exited his psyche. _so why do I feel so empty?_ The pain climaxed as the nerve impulses clashed into each other like gargantuan earth tremors. He bowed his head down in defeat, hands tightly gripping the top of his head, and screamed, "What's wrong with me?"

As soon as the pain had started it had already ceased. The ephemeral attack left his body completely defenseless. Suddenly, the rain had also stopped. He pathetically rolled himself over to the tree with the last of his energy. When he got to it, he tried to prop himself against the tree. However, he was too weak, and his head slid down to the base of the tree until the softness of the grass contoured to his neck.

As the rain trickled over his knapsack, he thought about the post-war journey he had embarked on. He had started traveling in January of After Colony 197, vowing that he would visit every space colony that there was before returning to the Earth. He had to find out what a born soldiers purpose was in a time of peace, and he would ask everyone to find it. And he did. People were more than willing to give help to this 'Perfect Soldier' that they all had heard about so much. Yes, he was given a lot of advice, as well as: Places to sleep, food to eat, and odd jobs to get some money. He met many people, and left many people behind just as quickly. The date was August 8th, After Colony 197, and he had reached his final destination of his journey: Earth. Although he had never been happier to see the beauty of the sunset, the stars, and the lush green grass that gave Earth its beauty, he was disappointed to still be without a purpose at the end of his journey. Feeling that it was the only option left for him, the somnolent teen rummaged through his knapsack and pulled out the old video communicator device, or videocom, from his gundam.

* * *

Lady Une sat quietly in her desk, doing some last minute filing of government records. A year ago, she never would've thought that she would be the founder and chief in command of the Preventers. After all, it hadn't been more than two years ago when she was a ruthless colonel for the OZ military. Indeed, a woman who once sought control of the Earth and space colonies alike, she was now the head of the organization most responsible for protecting the peace between the two. She didn't think about it much anymore, but tonight was different. She has a feeling things were going to change in the Preventer organization.

Suddenly, a young man knocked on the door to her office. "Please, come in." Lady Une was shocked to hear any knocking; she though that she had been the last person in the office that night.

"Commander Une, you have a call on your videocom." The tall, slender man handed her the videocom. She graciously accepted it.

"Thank you, Preventor Barton." _Who on Earth would call here at 11 o'clock at night? _"Please, take the rest of the night off. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning." The youth nodded, and gently closed the door.

"Lady Une, this is Heero Yuy." The voice came from the videocom. It was low, cold, and monotone.

The voice echoed in her mind. She remembered Heero Yuy; he was maligned by the OZ organization. All of the Gundam pilots were.However, she ended up finding herself on their side, once she had started advocating peace. In fact, she downright admired his strength in battle, as well as the selflessness that allowed him to throw his life away for total pacifism. Lady Une never expected to hear from him again after the war; but she was a professional, and professionals knew how to handle themselves with such unexpected situations. "Heero Yuy… I never expected to hear from you again." She wasn't quite sure what to say to him, but, unless she said something provoking, she knew the stoic youth would never speak. "I assume you're done traveling."

"That's correct, Lady Une."

A small smile crept across her face. "Did you get your answers, Heero? Do you know how you're going to live?"

"No." his voice remained monotone. "But I thought that I could try another approach." Heero turned silent. His expression didn't waver, but his humiliation gave way and the smallest tint of pink surfaced on his cheeks. "Lady Une…I'd like to become a Preventor."

Lady Une became frozen in time. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her commanding, vivacious eyes receded into large, soft, pools. _Does he really want to join me?_ Une turned her head away from the videocom, afraid of a Gundam pilot seeing her get emotional. _He would be the 3__rd__ Gundam pilot to support me…there would never be any rebel uprisings…It's what Mr. Treize would've wanted…_The thought of Treize was quickly warded away. Une regained her composure and turned back to Heero. "I'm very pleased to hear this from you, Heero. I would be happy to have you as my subordinate." There was a slight pause. "Heero, you are on Earth, correct?"

"That is correct."

"In that case, send me your coordinates and I'll see to it that you're lifted to headquarters first thing in the morning. Now get some rest, Preventer Yuy."

Heero sent his coordinates, and disconnected the transmission. He then became immobilized in a deep sleep.

* * *

Well, hopefully that was somewhat enjoyable. The beginning of the story is always the hardest part for me to write, so any constructive criticism would be great. Chapter 2 should be a little more eventful. 

comet01


	2. Insomnia

Just Call Me Nanashi

comet01

Disclaimers: Nope, don't own Heero, or any of the other Gundam pilots. Sad, but true.

Warnings: Okay, so I thought that this chapter was going to have some action going on it. Then I decided to go in another direction with this story, so this chapter is pretty much dedicated to introducing Trowa's character, as well as his own problems. Um, same warnings apply as chapter 1. I promise that future chapters (well, a lot of them) won't be quite as dense in description as these 1st two chapters. However, since Heero and Trowa are more or less the main characters (just friends, people...), I thought these chapters could only be written this way. Anyways, I'll shut up now.

Chapter 2- Insomnia

Preventer Trowa Barton was in a state of suspended animation. He had never piloted a private jet before, and was surprised at how quietly and efficiently it ran.

Quiet, though, was the very thing that was burdening him at this particular moment in time. Trowa had gone 27 hours without sleep, and had been punched in at work for 25 of those. Despite the insufferable urge to rest his eyes, Trowa stayed very composed and relaxed at the controls. He allowed his hand to slide down the steering shifter as he used the other to swipe his light brown, nearly horizontal bangs out of his eyes. These, although sometimes a nuisance, served as quite the useful distraction.

He leaned into the back of the leather seat that so gently conformed to his body. His body began to go limp as he slowly closed his eyes. _No, I must not fall asleep._ Trowa tried tensing up to keep his muscles active, but he couldn't even get his body to perform such a simple task. He slouched over as his body submitted to his mental exhaustion.

"Message on line one from Commander Une." Trowa's eyes flung open at the sound of the nasally recording. _I fell asleep…I wonder how long I was out._ He instinctively jumped out of his chair to check the clock, above the control deck. 9:32 A.M. _Four minutes…that was too long to be safe. I better make sure nothing happened._ He quickly eyed the controls, seeing nothing short of perfection. _That's good. I just need to check the back. _He turned around in his pilot's seat, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. He even got up to look outside to look outside the windows. Nothing was wrong.

_Looks like I got lucky this time._ Then he performed the final check. He stared back at his thin, muscular, brown-haired friend. _Heero…_ Heero's eyes stayed shut, entranced in a world of broken dreams. _Heero… I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I could've killed us both…and you would've laid as peacefully as you are right now, even in death. _Trowa fought valiantly to repress the tears in his eyes. _I must not cry. I don't have the right to cry yet. _Trowa capsized back into the pilot's seat and flung his head toward the wall. He narrowly escaped smashing his head against the pilot's emergency escape door. "Message on line one from Commander Une."

Trowa crouched forward, hiding his face behind his mask of bangs. _No one can see such weakness in a soldier. _The thought alone restored his alertness, causing him to sit confidently. His piercing green eyes narrowed into a cold, unsentimental glare as he spoke in almost a whisper: "Let her through."

A stern, matronly-looking Une glared into the screen. "Preventer Barton, you weren't answering. I thought you may have fallen asleep. Of course, there was also the possibility that you crashed…now that would've been quite a big mistake." The word echoed in Trowa's ears. _Mistakes…_He retained his emotionless appearance. Of course, this only increased the amount of guilt he felt on the inside. _I made a really big mistake…_He stared directly at Lady Une through the videocom, but only in a physical sense. Emotionally, he was blind. _I almost killed somebody…_As his emotional state of mind recovered it's visual perception, his surroundings started to started to slowly melt from underneath him, gathering at his feet. He stared down at the gathering point, and noticed that an endless, spiraling chasm was forming. Although still relatively calm, he was becoming increasingly nervous and didn't know how much longer he could maintain his expressionless mask. _I can't afford to make any more mistakes._ As Trowa desperately tried to clear his mind of any negative thoughts, the chasm only grew more. Then Trowa felt the effects of gravity as the chasm roughly forced his feet downwards. Trowa simply lifted his foot up, effortlessly. He looked down at the chasm again, for an instant, but then returned his sights to the videocom. _I'm hallucinating…_

He firmly closed his eyes to make sure he wouldn't look down; the act was just long enough to give himself a few more seconds of normalcy, yet just short enough for Lady Une to perceive it as a mere link. When he opened his eyes, he spoke, with slightly harried speech. "Nothing to worry about here. I'm almost at the sector seven fly-through. I should be at headquarters within the hour." As he finished, he shut his eyes again. This time, though, he looked confidant in doing so. He crossed his arms.

"I should've known better, Preventer Barton. I can trust you in any situation."

"Yes, ma'am, over and out." He covered his eyes to shut off the videocom, and did so. However, his hallucination from before returned, occurring at a more rapid rate. His instinct proved fatal as he buried his eyes into the imaginary chasm. He suddenly felt like he was in free fall, with his body helplessly detached from the rest of physical matter.

He desperately pulled himself up, hooking onto a pipeline. He leaned on it and pulled with all of his strength. The instinctual assumption to hold onto life made Trowa's body as stiff and lifeless as a marble statue. Then, he heard glass breaking. _They say that it's only human to make mistakes…_He grit his teeth and shut his eyes as he used what was left of his energy to continue grasping onto the pipeline. After a few more minutes of doing so, he felt a pang in his hand, and instantly let go. _I almost killed myself by making a mistake…_His eyes then wandered back to Heero as weakness crushed his body. He was still sleeping. _I almost killed him, too, and he wouldn't have even had the chance to rectify my mistake._ He felt himself being absorbed into the chasm, and he allowed it. _I don't have the right to cry. I also don't have the right to make mistakes. I can't indulge myself in such things until I learn to be human. This is how it must be._

His willingness caused the chasm to disappear, as well as the rest of his hallucination. He could then see the jet as it normally was, and decided to redirect the plane. He checked the clock again. 9:34 A.M. _That felt like an eternity…but I'll be grateful. _

It was as he sat in the pilot's seat that he noticed his fatigue again. His eyes stayed narrowly open and transfixed on the empty skies. It was, without a doubt, a very lulling background. But no, he wouldn't fall asleep again. He didn't need to worry about that. There was still the reminiscent shock from the last time. However, to secure that notion, he called up his fist and released it onto the emergency alarm.

Just before Trowa had activated the alarm, Heero woke up, keeping his eyes shut. It was a practice he had grown accustomed to doing, to increase his alertness without allowing anyone to notice. He discovered that he was in a bed, wearing a heavy robe. He was also entangled in a heap of blankets, all trapping in heat. He felt like he was in a sauna.

With no other clues of his whereabouts, Heero was about to open his eyes when he heard a potent smashing noise. He kept his eyes shut to silently investigate the noise, until he suddenly heard an earsplitting, irksome siren.

He opened his eyes and instinctually attempted to pry himself out of the bed. This shouldn't have been very difficult for him, since he wasn't tied down. However, the massive amounts of sweat accumulated from the coat and blanket left Heero stuck to his robe. Consequently, the robe had left him entangled in the plethora of blankets._ I have to get this thing off if I ever want to stop that damn siren…_The robe, sticky as it was, was extremely difficult to get off. Heero eventually slipped a blanket around his hand and slowly peeled the robe off. It was a painful process, leaving his skin red.

However, it had accomplished nothing. His green tank top was sticking to the robe. _This is humiliating…_ He continued peeling the way he had before, and, after about three minutes, he finally got it off.

Clad in only a pair of shorts, Heero still hadn't escaped the bed. He found himself battling to untangle himself from his blankets. The bout lasted 20 seconds, leaving Heero in a frenzied panic with the shrill flutter of the siren.

He kept one of the blankets wrapped around himself, not wanting to reveal his chest. His inner soldier finally had the opportunity to survey the area. _This must be the jet Lady Une sent for me. _He then found the control station, along with the pilot who used it.

Heero was disturbed. As the siren rang in his ear, the pilot just calmly sat there, steering and monitoring the jet as if everything was completely normal. He found himself unable to trust this mystery man, and slowly approached him. _Now to see who this incompetent of a pilot is. _ Then, something stopped him in his tracks. Or, rather, someone stopped him. The pilot nonchalantly turned toward Heero. Both of their expressions were empty, staring toward each other.

"Heero," Trowa said. "I see you're awake now."

Too stunned to say anything else, Heero let out a stammer. "Trowa…"

* * *

I know, that was a terrible end to the chapter. But honestly, I'd rather wait until the next chapter to have Heero and Trowa talk. I don't know why. Anyways, as I said, these two chapters are more of a setup for the story ahead, so naturally they're a little slow. Uh…thanks for reading!!

comet01


	3. The Mission

Just Call Me Nanashi

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I'm not even going to put a disclaimer here, because it should be quite obvious already.

Warnings: I did this entire chapter in one day. I think that warning can speak for itself.

* * *

Chapter 3-The Mission

The alarm continued. Heero was befuddled. _Trowa piloted a Gundam…there's no way he would have trouble with a jet…_ For once in his life, Heero was at a loss. He didn't have an answer for any of it. _I don't like this at all. _"Trowa…what's going on?"

Trowa sat calmly as the alarm grew progressively louder. Heero, standing behind him, was completely tense. His extreme agitation could only be released by the gradual clenching of his fists, striving for the modicum of comfort that would stop him from stepping over the edge. He had to know what was going on.

Heero gave Trowa an unsettling gaze with his intimidating dark-blue eyes. As Trowa returned the glare, Heero's eyes narrowed. Trowa made no facial movements whatsoever, but, rather, remained blank and expressionless. This had become his livelihood. The two men continued to stare, one man trying to enter the others soul, while the other was vacantly staring into nothing.

For the first time in a long time, Trowa felt absolutely nothing. He met Heero's confused and somewhat angered eyes without feeling the need to say anything. He had almost forgotten that Heero had asked him a question, and he had completely forgotten about his fatigue. Not even the recent memory of the chasm sparked a response from his emotions.

Although this chilling feeling was not a new experience for him, it was a large contrast to what he ad experienced just a few minutes ago. Before, Trowa had been completely helpless, rendered into complete submission by his sweeping imagination and lustful spirituality. Now, he had logical control over every move he made. Thoughts ceased to flow through his mind as he kept one eye fixed on Heero and the other on the pipeline behind him. He was void of feeling, and he liked it that way.

With his fatigue suddenly gone and his fear of crashing abolished, Trowa reached for the alarm, and lightly pressed the button down. Slowly, he turned to Heero, not forgetting his inquiry. "Don't worry about it. Nothing's wrong." Trowa finally returned his focus back to the skies. "We should be flying into Preventer Headquarters shortly. Just try to relax."

Heero knew for a fact that Trowa was, and always would be, professionally composed in any situation. Although the idea that Trowa would lie just to comfort him seemed ridiculous, he knew that it wasn't completely preposterous. And he really didn't want to die today over foolish pride. "Trowa, I'm not going to ask you again. Why was that alarm on?"

At this point, Trowa decided that there would be no harm in telling Heero the truth. _Maybe it'll put the guy at ease a little. He sure needs it. _"I haven't slept in 27 hours, Heero, and I've been working for 25 of those. I turned the alarm on myself to ensure that I wouldn't fall asleep." Feeling satisfied with his explanation, Trowa didn't even look to see how his words were received. He knew they were satisfactory.

"Let me fly." The words came out of Heero's mouth quickly and effortlessly. There was more for him to say, yet words seemed lost on Heero in this fragment in time, and the order seemed to suffice.

"Why?"

"Trowa…you look tired. Let me fly the rest of the way in."

"I can't, Heero. You're a new member. I can't let you fly unsupervised. I'd be fired." The words came out slowly and individually, each emphasized crisply as Trowa didn't divert his attention from the skies.

Heero narrowed his gaze. "Trowa, I'm not a trainee. I was a Gundam pilot. I think I can fly a plane." He walked up to the pilot seat and extended his hand. "I won't do anything to jeopardize you. Just let me take over and get some rest."

Heero's hand lay firmly in front of Trowa's eyes for a while. Feeling a rush of apprehension, Trowa's thoughts turned to the scenario in which Lady Une caught him. He'd be fired. But now that his feeling had returned, he knew that there was a likely chance that he would fall asleep again, which would also get him fired. Feeling that avoiding danger was his only real option at the moment, Trowa decided to trust his old friend. Six months apart had done nothing to fracture Trowa's trust. He knew that he could still trust Heero, if only from that luminous gaze and firmly still hand. Taking a swipe at the hand, Trowa quickly pulled himself up. He allowed Heero to sit down in the pilot's seat, and relaxed behind him. "Thanks, Heero."

* * *

The halls at Preventer Headquarters were, as they usually were on Sundays, bare. Supervisor WuFei Chang had been working with the Preventers for almost a year now, and was reaping every possible benefit of his recent promotion. 

As he slowly walked toward his office, WuFei took some time to admire the dimly lit corridors. He often overlooked them as the hallways were hustling and bustling with secretaries, interns, and inexperienced Preventers with their hastiness and shrill cries. He never grew tired of the time he had alone on Sundays. _Maybe if every day was like Sunday, without those stupid fools running around with their pants inside-out, I could actually get some work done._

WuFei approached the door to his office, and tried to unlock the door with his key. Surprisingly enough, the door was already open. _Shit, did I forget to lock up on Friday?_ He cautiously walked in, laying his hand in his pocket and twisting his fingers around his gun. He was ready to jump into action, as he caught sight of a shadow around the corner….

"Supervisor Chang, please take your hand out of your pocket. You won't be needing your gun right now."

WuFei gathered his composure, although still feeling like a complete idiot. "Une…what are you doing in my office? You're not allowed in here!"

Une smiled and sipped out of a porcelain cup. "Feisty today, aren't we, Supervisor Chang? Don't forget that I'm still Commander Une to you. Your promotion doesn't transcend formalities, you know."

The twenty one- year-old Une looked about twice her age today, which WuFei took notice of. She dreaded coming into work on Sundays, because, ordinarily, it was her only day to get over three hours of sleep. He knew that she would only come in to work if she had something critically important to discuss. However, WuFei decided not to let up on his usual, pejorative demeanor. _This is my office, dammit. That woman has no right. No right! _"So, what's so important that you had to deface my private office?"

Une smiled. "I have a new recruit flying in today with Preventor Barton. I want you to wait for them at the airstrip until they arrive, at approximately 1000 hours. Is that too much for you, Supervisor?"

WuFei boiled with rage. "You invaded…no, violated my personal space for a new recruit? What makes you think that I'll do this, anyways? I could be at home right now!"

Une folded her hands and stood up, walking toward the door. "WuFei, this isn't just any recruit. I want him taken care of. You should be pleased when you get to see him for yourself." Une opened the door. "Besides, Preventor Barton has gone a very long time without sleep, and I want you to personally see to it that he gets plenty of rest before his next mission. I will be leaving to do the same right now, Supervisor Chang. And please, just follow my orders, if only this once." Lady Une escorted herself out with a grace unseen amongst women in her field.

For the next few minutes, WuFei sat in his chair to stew for a while over this recent "mission." However, he grew slightly interested in who the new recruit might be. _It must be one of those fighter pilots on L1 that she was getting so excited about…but they're a bunch of wimps. But maybe…maybe it's him…_ The thought promptly guided WuFei to grab his Preventer coat and leave his office. Then, sprinting in a cold sweat down the corridors, WuFei found himself on the roof, looking over the airstrip. _I'll wait here as long as I need to, as long as it's him…if not, that woman's going to pay for this._

* * *

Heero had forgotten how calming it was to have a purpose in life, no matter how short-lived it was. The plane gave him a rush of control, and he loved it. Staying intently focused on flying, he didn't know that Trowa wasn't resting. That is, until he spoke. "Heero, how was the traveling?" 

Heero, aware that he would likely be asked this question many times, had already formulated a vaguely unrevealing answer to share. "It was nice to see people from colony after colony happy and able to live in peace."

"Yeah." Trowa was speaking in a whisper. There was so much more he wanted to ask, but didn't want to intrude on Heero's privacy. _I won't make you open up right now, Heero. I will be trying though, and I'm not going to make silence very easy for you._ "There are a lot of nice people out in the colonies. I'm guessing that you lived with a family during each of your visits."

"That's right. How did you know that?" _That's a stupid question. He's Trowa. He seems to know everything about everybody without a word being said…especially when it comes to me._

"When we went our separate ways, you didn't have any money. Traveling is pretty expensive, normally." He paused for a second. "Are you going to stay in contact with any of them?"

After the question was asked, Heero's mind drifted to all of the stops on his trip. Yes, all of the people were friendly, but he had never stayed in contact with anyone that came close to him. He shook his head. "I don't think so. You know how I do things."

Trowa nodded. "You could have changed drastically while you were gone."

"Hn."

"Did you see any of the other pilots during your travels, at least?"

"I can tell you about my travels later. How do you land this thing?

"Right…when you land this thing, you want to make sure to activate the optimal energy switch on your right, the blue one. Once you've done that, the plane won't overshoot." Heero nodded. "After we get there, someone should be there waiting for us. Once they've verified that we're safe, they should let us go."

"Understood….Do I have living arrangements?"

"No, but you can stay at my place. It's no grind, but at least I have a guest room and a nice kitchen."

Living with Trowa appeared to be the ideal situation for Heero; it lacked the pestering annoyance at the hands of someone like Duo, yet he could be counted on for silent company. Overall, the situation was quite acceptable to Heero. "Sounds good." Approaching the airstrip, Heero executed a perfect landing, and helped Trowa out of the plane. He spotted WuFei waiting for them.

"So, Yuy, you really are joining us! I knew you'd come around sooner or later!"

Heero and Trowa disembarked and stood adjacent to WuFei. "Thanks for the safety check." The voice belonged to Trowa. "I'll assume that we get to leave for the day."

WuFei's eyes widened a little bit. "Sorry guys, but that's a no for today. Commander Une would like you to go to the Cinq Kingdom to do our annual security checks. She ordered me to do the same for the President of Earth, and about half of our force will be on similar projects. Of course, with the former Vice Foreign Minister and the current Foreign Minister both living in the Cinq Kingdom, you've been trusted with one of the more important jobs. Please don't screw it up." Trowa nodded. "Oh, and one more thing…the Commander also ordered that you take your new trainee for some on-the-job training."

"Former Minister Darlian and current Minister Noin will be safe, I promise. Are we to set out today?"

As the words melted off of Trowa's lips and into Heero's ears, his heartbeat quickened at the thought of returning to the Cinq Kingdom. He hid his cheeks under his hands as the blood bombarded the outer layers of his face. No words could encapsulate what he was feeling that moment, not even in his thoughts. Then, he whispered in what seemed to be complete silence, the only clear thought in his mind. "Relena..."

* * *

Cinq Kingdom in Chapter 4? Or more of WuFei and Lady Une bickering? I don't know yet!! I'm not going to guarantee an update in one week for the next one, because of my stupid Calc BC packet. 


	4. A OneSided Conversation

Just Call Me Nanashi

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Author's note: Well, I lied about the Cinq Kingdom. I'm going to dedicate this chapter to Heero and Trowa. And, although it seems boring, I want their friendship to develop before shipping them off anywhere. I also want to introduce some of their problems first. So, things won't really get moving until about…Chapter 6? Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, even if it's just buildup for what's to come…again, sorry.

Warning: There's a somewhat sexual situation at the end of the chapter. At risk of completely giving it away, I won't say much more. It's PG-13 though, at worst. Also, swearing. Expect more of it from now on. (Not littered in every conversation, but there may be a couple in each chapter. Just so you know.)

* * *

Chapter 4- A One-sided Conversation

"Well, here it is. I told you it wasn't very big." Trowa opened the door to his apartment and ushered Heero inside.

"Trowa, are you sure this is okay? WuFei told us to leave immediately."

Trowa led Heero through the living room, the kitchen, and his room before stopping at what appeared to be a closet. There Trowa opened the wooden sliding door and placed his jacket on a hanger. He also took the few extra clothes from Heero's knapsack. "It would be irresponsible for us to leave in the shape that I'm in. I would not only be rudely intruding on their hospitality, but I would also be a danger. I wouldn't be as thorough as I would be otherwise. And I can't send you on your own, either, since you're a trainee. We'll get some rest and leave tomorrow morning."

Heero nodded. "That makes sense, but WuFei told us otherwise."

"WuFei always forgets his orders. Ever since he got his promotion, he really hasn't given Commander Une the time of day."

Heero was a little surprised by the notion. "That's not like him at all. He's always concerned about his integrity."

Trowa led Heero back into the kitchen and put some water on the stove. He asked Heero if he wanted some tea, and Heero declined. "He's changed a lot since the end of the war. Ever since he started working for the Preventers, he's realized that integrity doesn't always get you too far in the real world. He's trying to adapt, just like the rest of us."

Heero nodded quietly. "Have you seen the others?"

Trowa turned his gaze to the pot of water. "I've seen Duo a few times. It seems like he's happy working at the salvage yard. He's made a few deliveries to Commander Une and we used it as an excuse to get lunch and catch up. Of course, I made him pay."

Heero's wry expression slowly formed into a smile. He seated himself at Trowa's modest kitchen table as Trowa poured the tea for himself. He sat across from Heero, gently massaging the tea bag with his hands.

Silence fell upon the two men. Naturally, neither of them were conversationalists.

Heero attentively basked in his surroundings. He noticed the generic white paint job chipping off of the walls, with nothing else in the room than a stovetop, a microwave oven, a refrigerator, and a toaster. But there was something more to his surroundings than the modest furnishings. For the first time in a long time, someone else was there. And, although no words were being spoken by either himself or the other, he could feel the words; the questions, the answers, the advice and the fear…all of them swirled about as they were slowly exhumed from his conscience.

By staring perpetually at each other, the art of conversation flew at its finest from their tortured souls, without having to speak a word. Although nothing could be put eloquently in a silent conversation, it remained deeper than either one of them could possibly think that it was at the time.

Finally, Trowa broke the silence. "It's really nice seeing you again, Heero."

Heero nodded, somewhat irked by the comment. He never thought of Trowa as the type to toss around meaningless formalities. Then a thought occurred to him: _Could he actually mean it? Is he actually happy to see me?_

With the apparent lack of response from Heero, Trowa continued on his previous train of thought. "When I left the circus to join the Preventers two months ago, I thought you were going to be there, too. In fact, it's the only reason I applied."

Heero's eyes widened. "...To see me?"

Trowa nodded. "Heero, I think I still have some demons from the war…Even after your travels, I figured that you probably would, too. I was sure that you would struggle to move on and live a normal life. What I didn't expect is that I would have the same problem…."

"You didn't think that you'd have trouble adjusting?"

"…I did. I also knew that I had a home to go back to, though. I even had a job. I didn't know that I would find a civilian purpose during the war, but entertaining people in the circus made me useful to society, even as the soulless puppet that I was, and still am. But having a home isn't enough for a man to put aside his pain, Heero. Neither is a purpose. Both have been important to my adjustment…but I still need more.

"Every time I entered battle, I felt like I was losing a small piece of my heart. Even as a spiritual pain, it got to the point where my heart was completely void of feeling….My heart still hasn't healed. It's still as lifeless as the day the war ended.

"I thought you might be having some demons of your own, so you were the clear choice to come to for help. Since I couldn't track you down while you were traveling, I thought of your next logical move. I figured that you'd either go back to school or come here. Since I have no interest in school, I decided to join the Preventers. I've waited for you ever since."

Heero nodded solemnly. For the first time, Trowa's eyes were filled with expression. He wasn't sure what expression was trapped inside those small, green orbs, but it empowered him. Heero, however, did his best to remain completely expressionless. "So, what makes you think that the others have moved on?"

Trowa bowed into Heero's mysterious gaze and smiled. "I can't be sure that they've all moved on. I know that Duo's happy. We talked over lunch just a few weeks ago. He said that Hilde's been there for him, and that she was all he needed. He never had any problems to start with, or so it seems. WuFei…well, he's kept himself busy with his Supervisor position. That guy sure does like to boss me around…."

"And Quatre?"

"Quatre? He's been busy with his father's estates. I actually haven't heard from him, but one of his sisters contacted me and said that he was very happy with his life. I think that destroying the Gundams was enough for him to recover. He was too kind to be a soldier."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Heero flung his head back against the chair and crossed his arms. "I guess that leaves you and me."

Trowa nodded tactfully. "I've already revealed that I'm not ready….So, what about you? Have you moved on?"

As a response, Heero grunted. It was the only honest response he could think of to the question.

_I think I understand…let's just drop it. _"I should get some rest if we're heading out tomorrow." Heero nodded. "I'll show you around."

Heero nodded again, letting a "Hn" escape from under his breath.

* * *

"Incoming call from Commander Une. Incoming call from Commander Une." The feminine, monotonous voice rose Trowa from his slumber. His eyes darted toward his clock. _5 o'clock. At least I snuck four hours in before something happened…_

Trowa picked up the videocom. "Let her through."

Looking youthful and somewhat rejuvenated from her own Sunday nap, Lady Une's face came on screen. "I apologize for calling you at home, Preventer Barton. Is this a bad time?"

Trowa adamantly shook his head. "Not at all, Commander. I was just getting some rest before taking Preventer Yuy and myself to the Cinq Kingdom."

Lady Une was visibly shocked at the response. Blood rose to her face as she grunted. "Preventer Barton…I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course, Commander."

"Can you please tell me…" Une was livid and shouting, and Trowa still had no idea why. "one good reason why I shouldn't demote your supervisor?"

_Oh_, Trowa realized, _she's mad at WuFei again. I wonder what he did this time…_ "Commander, despite his lack of formalities and overall politeness toward his superiors and subordinates, I believe that Supervisor Chang really has been the most dedicated and hardest working Preventer that I've seen in the duration of my involvement in the organization." Trowa was visibly pleased with himself. Although he never made a habit of it, he could throw a, mechanically-speaking, well presented argument if the case presented itself.

Lady Une frowned. "Fair enough."

"So, what did he do to deserve this brutal lack of confidence, Commander?"

The Lady's eyes softened. She began to look amused by this. "Let's just say that he's really lucky to have someone as thoughtful as yourself as one of his subordinates."

Trowa's expression remained fixed at the compliment. "Is there anything else I should know about, Commander?"

Lady Une reddened. "Well, yes, actually. A couple of things." She regained her professionalism before continuing. "The first order of business explains why I am upset with Supervisor Chang. He informed me that he had told you to leave for the Cinq Kingdom immediately after you landed, when, in reality, those weren't my intentions at all. I gave him specific orders for you to go home and rest. I'm glad to see that you figured that out on your own."

"…"

"I was also informed that Foreign Minister Noin will be on a visit to the L2 sector for the rest of this week. She would like to supervise your work as well. Therefore, Preventer Barton, I am scheduling your departure for next Saturday at noon."

"Understood…and the second order of business?"

"I would like to promote you to an officer. You've shown your capability to work with your own officer, despite his chronic absences, as well as your pig-headed supervisor. As an officer, I believe you will be able to keep Supervisor Chang in check for me, as well as make up for Officer Haggis' truancy. I would also be giving you your own team, as well as a 20 salary bonus. Would you be interested at all?"

Trowa made no facial movements, and his voice was lowered to a whisper. "When do I get to meet my team?"

Lady Une smiled. "I knew you would cooperate, Officer Barton. Bring Preventer Yuy for a private meeting tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. I'll be present, as well as the rest of your new team. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am, over and out."

* * *

Waking up Tuesday morning left Trowa more invigorated than he had ever felt before. Having the opportunity to meet his team yesterday morning was nothing less than exciting. He still couldn't believe that he was going to be in charge of five Preventers. _This is going to be tough…_The thoughts unraveled through his mind as he pictured every member of his team traveling with him to the Cinq Kingdom: Heero and himself sitting quietly in the front seats of the black Lexus, with two 18-year old women and one man in his twenties wreaking havoc in the back. _This'll be fun. And tough._

Looking over at his clock, Trowa realized that it was 11 o'clock. _Wow, is it really that late? I bet Heero's up already._

Trowa walked into the kitchen, realizing that no one was there. Also, with the apparent lack of dirty dishes and no odd aromas, he deduced that Heero hadn't been in the kitchen yet.

Deciding to make use of the trip, Trowa popped a couple of waffles in the toaster and poured himself some coffee. Breakfast was, after all, his favorite meal of the day. It was time that he could relax and read the paper, as well as enjoy the heavenly, often sugary, flavors of breakfast food. Most importantly of all, it was the only meal that he consistently ate at home.

The waffles were as delectable and delicious as he had anticipated. The sweet, gooey syrup hid in the crevices of his mouth as it continued to release its sweetness. Yes, breakfast was heavenly indeed. _Plus, I have nowhere to go today. This is going to be a great week._

Never staying entranced in his own thoughts for too long, Trowa decided to quietly check in on Heero.

* * *

Heero was quietly sleeping in his room, moving only slightly back and forth between his sheets in a melodic fashion. He could hardly be considered in unrest, though. In the world of dreams, he could have considered himself in paradise….

_He found himself gazing admiringly toward the sunset. Standing on a hill toward the beach, he pulled his knapsack over his shoulder, and flung it onto the ground. He didn't take much care into what happened with his possessions. He was a vagabond; sometimes, he still felt like his life was cheap, and that his possessions wouldn't suffer without him. _

_Absentmindedly sitting on the beach, he looked up at the swirled hues of pink and purple in the mid-evening sky. It was the most peaceful of all possible times of day; it was too late for the birds to sing, yet only the most preemptive of insects began chirping. It was the best of times._

_Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow approaching. He quickly stood up, reached into his spandex and pulled out his gun, resting it against his hand, turned toward the shadow. As his eyes darted across the source of the shadow, his hand shook._

"_Relena…"_

_She was right in front of him, touching his green tank top. He looked down at her, gently brushing her chin with his hand. He lifted her head so that her big blue eyes met his. Suddenly, he felt her melting into his arms. He squeezed her tightly to keep her from falling, pressing her chest against his. He felt a current run through his body as blood surged to the surface of his skin. He couldn't stop sweating. His arms ached to the point where he couldn't move them._

_Relena was blushing. Visibly giddy, she smiled stupidly as she rubbed her face in his chest. She quickly perched it up on his shoulder and looked up at him with a helpless, dependant gaze. This reaction startled him. Before he could even differentiate his feelings he found himself bending down and quickly pressing his lips against hers. He left them there for a long time, tickling her tongue with his own._

_Did he even know how to do that? He pulled back for a second. No, he had never done that before. He had never even thought of it. But damn, did it feel good._

_He now found himself too weak to stand. He loosely gripped her hips with his hands. Then, as he allowed himself to fall on the sand, he pulled her down with him. _

_Suddenly finding herself on top of him, she started giggling. "It's been so long since I've seen you, Heero. I was beginning to think that I'd never…"_

_She had said a lot more, but his conscious mind made no note of what she was saying. Words were cheap in beautiful moments, and he couldn't think of a more beautiful moment in his short life._

_He knew he was only mildly shaking, but he felt like he was convulsing. He felt like he had to let the feeling stop before he lost control. But, for the first time, he __**wanted **__to lose control. This mysterious emotional response drew him closer to her. He eagerly ripped his shirt off to equal her red string-bikini, and carefully examined her breasts._

_He didn't even know what he was thinking. He just knew that he couldn't look away._

_Relena had caught him, cutely grunting as she brought him up to eye level. To distract himself, he played with her straight, dark blonde strands. He really wanted to stop sweating. This didn't seem to be helping, though._

_Basking in the moment, he drew her in closer for another, more gentle kiss. As he did, his hand ran through her hair and down her shoulders, and started pulling at the tie to her suit. He felt his heart thumping as the bikini top became untied. He lightly removed the top as he caught a glance at what laid underneath…_

"Damn it!" Trowa muttered as he tripped over the houseplant. If nothing else would wake Heero up, the shattering of the porcelain vase certainly would.

Heero rolled over and loudly groaned in his bed. His eyes opened slightly to find Trowa inside his room, along with a huge clump of dirt and thousands of porcelain shards. He couldn't believe it. His precious moment. Gone. Tainted. _Stupid house plant… Why do these things always happen to me?_

Trowa looked apologetically at his friend. "Sorry, Heero, didn't mean to wake you up."

Heero let out a soft moan.

"I'm going to get the broom to sweep this up. If you have to get out of bed, watch where you step."

Heero smiled as he lay limply in his bed. Most of his body was limp, anyways. He was still incredibly sweaty and out of breath, and his boxers were wet and outstretched. With recent memories of the dream already bombarding his head, he put all of his energy into complete relaxation. He wasn't going to get out of bed for awhile.

* * *

Wow. My writing is getting worse with each progressing chapter. I guess it didn't help that I wrote this in two days (most of it in one, actually). Hopefully there was something entertaining/well-written in there for you guys. Um…a review would make me warm and fuzzy inside…but I won't beg. I just hope that you'll give me another shot at good writing with the next chapter.

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	5. The Girl in Leather

Just Call Me Nanashi

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Well, this was a long time coming. Sorry about the delay, but Calc BC is a bitch right now, and I'm already getting homework consistently in 5 classes (I've been in school for 3 days, by the way). Anyways, without further adieu, here's chapter 5….

* * *

Chapter 5- The Girl in Leather

It was almost one o'clock before Heero found his way out of bed. With the earlier events of the morning still on his mind, he decided to avoid Trowa when he walked into the kitchen. He didn't want to engage in any deep conversation in the moment. _I need a shower._ Trowa looked on pensively as Heero walked by him. He couldn't understand how Heero got so sweaty, but he wasn't one to ask invasive questions. He just nodded politely as Heero scuffled by.

There was a knock on the door. Trowa thought twice before answering it, wearing a pair of ducky pajama pants and a ketchup-stained t-shirt. He decided not to conceal his shame as he went to answer the door. It was not a wise decision. "Uh…Preventer Bagnato…."

The girl's chocolate brown eyes widened into golf balls. "Oh, sorry…this is a bad time…."

Trowa anxiously fumbled around for a sweatshirt. He quickly slipped it on and deftly covered his lower half with an afghan. He returned to the door to usher the girl in. "Come on in." Trowa invited the girl to sit on the couch, which also had a washed-out ketchup stain. "I'm guessing that business brings you here."

The girl nodded. "Yeah…I'm here to bring Preventer Yuy his official jacket and ID card. You guys left before I had the chance to deliver them. She handed the black leather jacket to Trowa, and fished around in the pockets of her own to present the ID card. After a few seconds of near panic, she found it and entrusted it with Trowa.

"Thank you. As you know, we'll be departing Saturday morning. Please tell the others to meet in my office bright and early." The girl nodded. "Then I'll see you Saturday, Preventer Bagnato."

She smiled. "Please, Officer, just call me Millah. I hate formalities." She rose off of the couch as her straight, chocolate brown hair draped over her shoulders and down to the middle of her back. The soft features on her thin face remained cold and straight, like a businesswoman.

The only feature that Trowa took particular note of, however, was the black Preventer jacket that she wore. It was small and tight-fitting, but the look was rather flattering for such a thin girl. Holding her head down low, she slowly walked out the door. Trowa, meanwhile, was still in shock that she was a part of his new team. _She's as intense as Heero. _Trowa shuddered at the thought of having a female Heero to put up with. _Well, maybe not that intense. Even so, this first mission of mine should go quite smoothly. _

As Trowa's head started sinking into the couch, he heard Heero's footsteps. Clad in a white button-down shirt and khakis, he sat down next to his friend. "You look ridiculous." He said bluntly, referring to the ducky pants.

Trowa startled a little at his presence, but decided to follow the conversation. "Yeah, I know." Trowa tossed Heero the jacket. "Millah came by to drop off your jacket and ID just a few minutes ago. Keep them in your closet, or something."

Heero stared at Trowa with a quizzical expression for a few seconds. "Wait…someone actually saw you in those?"

Trowa shrugged. "Only for a second or two. I covered them with this afghan after that."

"But she saw them?"

Trowa nodded. "Yeah. I guess that was a little impolite, but we're going to know each other casually sooner or later. We might as well get our awkward tendencies out of the way."

Heero was shocked at how dryly those words had come out. He examined Trowa, who sat contently with those ridiculous pajamas on, as if nothing had happened at all. "You weren't embarrassed at all?"

The question seemed like a strange one to Trowa. "No. Should I have been?"

"Yes. Someone seeing you in your ketchup-stained pajamas is something that you should be personally embarrassed about. What's more, we're talking about one of your subordinates. You know that she's going to tell the rest of them. You'd at least be embarrassed if that happened, wouldn't you?"

Trowa paused for a second, pretending to ponder the question. In reality, he had already answered a similar question in his own mind thousands of times before. He stared blankly at Heero, questioning whether he should tell him the truth or not. Sure, they had been war buddies and were getting along well for the short time that they were living together, but, until now, it was a matter that he had kept private from anybody and everybody. His heart was begging him to unleash all of his post-war sorrow onto his friend. His brain, however, saw this as an unwise decision, advocating for silence. The two paths, as different as they were, converged in a short, succinct sentence: "I don't know what it means to be embarrassed."

The room fell silent for what, to Trowa, seemed like forever. Trowa felt the urge to say more, but was holding himself back. It was true that his fellow Gundam pilots had all divulged a small part of their past to him, and he had been worthy of their trust. In fact, he helped cure many of the emotional doubts that his comrades were experiencing, as well as physically rescuing them from danger. Yet, he still couldn't decide whether to trust his old friend with such delicate information.

His thoughts jumped beyond the question of embarrassment. He wanted to tell Heero about the hallucinations. _No, they were from a lack of sleep. There's no reason to burden him…_Soon, questions flooded through Trowa's mind, circling around emotions that he didn't understand. He wanted to speak, badly, but his brain continued to intervene. _Wouldn't Heero be the worst person to ask about emotions?_ Then he remembered, back at the hangar, that he had noticed an ever so slight change of expression in Heero's eyes when WuFei had mentioned the Cinq Kingdom. _On second thought, maybe not. _

Oddly enough, the subtle memory was all he needed to convince his brain that he was doing the right thing. He trusted Heero. "I can't really feel much of anything, to tell the truth."

Heero didn't wait for an expansion on that thought. "Everyone has feelings, Trowa."

"I know. It seems like that's the way it should be. But I have no compassion, Heero. I know that's not normal. As you said, everyone has it in some form. But I don't. I really don't."

Heero looked guilty. "If this is still about the ducky pajamas…"

Trowa cut him off. "It's not, really. These are things that I haven't come to terms yet.

"In a book, people usually take two forms: There are those who live with their subtle emotions over each and every situation they are presented with on a daily basis, no matter how minute and mundane those problems are. They have difficulty solving even the smallest problem, because their own self-interest and wellness often come into play. This constitutes most human beings in existence.

The other form…is a person who lacks emotions, or doesn't properly handle or understand their emotions. They don't use personal emotions to set individual goals, or even to improve themselves in any station of life. People of this form are mere puppets to their obligations, and are at mercy to their outside environment for any stimulation. This makes them perfect decision makers, and they are able to perfectly execute any plan, no matter what the physical discomfort, mental stress, or lack of a reward there is to it. This is because they don't care for themselves at all. After the deed is done, they are seen as selfless. This would be appropriate, especially since they have no regard for their own well-being.

"I feel that I, unfortunately, am stuck between the two fictitious groups. I have never felt any regard for myself, Heero. Yet, if someone needs me to execute a task, I still find that my own needs come into play…. I am both unemotional and unreliable. It doesn't make any sense, but I'm aware that I've defied logic many times in my life, and now would be no different."

"Trowa…"

"I traveled a little after the war, just like you did. I didn't go very far; I went through the L3 colony, living at people's houses when it came necessary. Like you, I also wanted a few questions answered. I found myself asking one more than the rest of them…."

Heero still found himself uncomfortable in his advice-giver position, so he opted to remain as quiet as possible. Still, he found himself feeling for his friend, and he was curious about which feelings Trowa was referring to. Also, he wanted to know Trowa's most asked question. And, as hard as it was for him to connect to anybody, he felt like he had a real opportunity to connect with Trowa right now. "What was it?"

Trowa smiled sincerely. _I didn't expect you'd want to know. I'm happy you do, though, because you're the one I want to hear the answer from._ "I'll tell you if you promise to answer it."

"I'll try my best, but I might not be able to. I won't promise you anything other than that."

Trowa was satisfied with this response. He wasn't expecting any bigger of a promise out of Heero. "Okay…do you know what it's like to be in love?"

* * *

Isabel Connor quietly entered her office. Although it was two in the afternoon, the young, peppy blonde had only been awake for slightly over an hour, and was still extremely tired. She lazily reached for her lamp as she opened her file cabinet. Dim light fell across the surprisingly well-decorated room. With a yawn and a long stretch, she pulled out a pile of papers as high as her stone paperweight, and knew that she was in for a long night.

Suddenly, a young man entered the office too. Both of them were 18, but the man looked slightly older, due to his athleticism. Isabel was surprised to see her co-worker. "Hey Rashad…wanna help me with this paperwork?"

Her friend laughed. "Let me guess, this was all due in yesterday, right?"

Isabel pleaded with her innocent smile. "Maybe…."

Rashad's expression was a casual one, but he felt that the pressing matter was somewhat serious and couldn't help but feel bad for interrupting. "I was just going to ask what you thought about the new officer."

"Officer Barton? Come on Rashad, even I remember his name. Jeez." Rashad rolled his eyes. "I think he's really cool and stuff, but he's so, like, serious…. We need to mellow him out a little. Maybe some skinny-dipping on the job?" Isabel laughed at her own joke. Rashad didn't even dignify it with eye-rolling. "Uh, yeah, anyways…he's a keeper. Let's be nice to him. I know… we can bake him cookies! Everyone likes cookies! And we'll dance! Let's go get music and some…"

Rashad had to cut her off. "On second thought, I should let you get to your work. I'm clocking out and going to the gym. If you wanna hang later, just call me up or go there."

Isabel frowned as her companion left. Her soft green eyes stared blankly at the door until he opened it, and then she stared at her work. _Ugh…why is paperwork so boring? If it was more like riding the hover-bikes, maybe I'd do it. _True, she had never been keen on work and often procrastinated whenever possible, but she wanted to impress her new officer as much as possible. With a small amount of motivation driving her, she started absent-mindedly signing release forms, inspection forms, trainee applications, complaint forms, suggestion forms, and every other kind of form that the administration could think of. As the former post of head secretary, she should have known all of the types of forms. However, she never really concerned herself with the knowledge. Unfortunately for her, this was why she was demoted to work under Trowa. Even worse, she still had to fulfill her duties as secretary, which meant filling out all of her late paperwork.

She was actually excited about her new post though, even if her pay was decreased. As a Preventer, she would get to go on covert operations, spy on people, meet political figureheads, and work with some of the greatest minds in the entire world. Considering herself a nerd of sorts, she was excited at the opportunity to interact with others who were passionate about knowledge and the world around them. She also knew that nerds, more than anybody, wanted to have fun, and would give any excuse to do so, even if they didn't get to very often. She knew that she could help them with that.

The only part of her new job that she was weary of was the physical fitness. She was very thin and lanky, and appeared to be somewhat physically fit. The truth was that Isabel wouldn't be able to run two miles if she was paid a million dollars to do so, and she wouldn't lift a 10-pound dumbbell over her head in fear of dropping it. She couldn't even do 50 consecutive crunches, or a single push-up. She had been forced to accept the fact that physical fitness was something that she would have to work on.

She grabbed a bag of potato chips and tossed them in the trash can. "That'll be the start to the best physical fitness plan ever." The statement was made to no one but herself. She felt lonely in her cramped office space, and she was still tired. The dim lighting wasn't helping, either. She was growing tired, but refused to fall asleep. _I need to finish this paperwork before Officer Barton gets a bad impression of me._ At the moment, she could only think of one way to keep herself from falling asleep: With a disgusted look on her face, she walked over to the garbage can and pulled out the bag of chips. She ripped the bag open and started popping them into her mouth. _I guess the fitness plan will start tomorrow…_

With the taste of salt and vinegar in her mouth, she eagerly returned to her paperwork, poised to finish it before nightfall.

* * *

Trowa had been waiting silently for over two and a half minutes. He had always found silence as a sign of character in a man; If a man was embarrassed to admit his thoughts, he had a choice of either being honest and remaining silent, or to lie and look comfortable. Trowa knew he had asked an awkward question, but it still surprised him that Heero hadn't answered yet. In a sense, it would've left Trowa at peace if Heero had just stayed silent. He knew that Heero did have an answer to the question, and one that he was embarrassed to share. Not only this, but his brain was finally able to agree with his heart: Heero was trustworthy, and Trowa couldn't second-guess that. He wouldn't, either, not even if his question was left unanswered. That's when he realized that Heero was not just a comrade, or a co-worker. He was his friend, and what Heero was about to say would only prove that.

* * *

Well well, there's Chapter 5…thanks for the reviews, by the way. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story! I decided to introduce Trowa's team in this chapter to loosen things up, because Trowa's post war troubles are rather dense. All of the themes in this chapter will be continued in the next one, I think. I believe that the group will be leaving for the Cinq Kingdom at the end of the chapter, or they'll just be arriving. But I could be wrong…I'll stop at that. Thank you again for reading! Hope you liked it!

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	6. Tango of the Minds

Just Call Me Nanashi

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Wow, a whole month has gone by. That's terrible. I really need to get better about this. In other news, I lost my notes for this chapter about 2 weeks ago (when I was updating my other story), so I can't guarantee anything for you. Sorry.

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Chapter 6- Tango of the Minds

_8/11/197: There are times when I feel that the rational mind doesn't exist. At least, not in human beings. For every so-called rational action we find ourselves plunging into, there is an instinctual drive that propels us forward. It is possible, perhaps, that the human psyche does not see the terms "rational" and "irrational" as the exterior consciousness does. Then again, if that is true, then there truly is a rational mind, to differentiate such petty thoughts and terminology of man._

_The intellectual dilemma I'm facing stemmed from quite a simple question that I asked to an old friend. Why I asked it, I cannot even be sure of at this moment. Words besiege me in this matter, thus the perfectly succinct description escapes me. All I will say is that the answer was exactly what I had hoped to hear, which, naturally, I did not expect._

_He turned his head slightly, fixing his glare to the wall. I knew that everything he said would be completely calculated, as he had always been around me. To him, every setting had the brutality of a battlefield. Until just now, I felt the exact same way. I didn't expect the answer so soon. I hadn't mentally prepared myself for what I would hear. As someone who had merely stumbled upon an acquaintance from the war, I didn't expect anything to be said at all. I started to lean my head back and relax as he gave the wall that truculent stare that made one's heart bleed purple._

_The silence ricocheted from my ears to the very depths of my mind. Perhaps I had asked too soon. Perhaps I had mistaken his charity for friendship. But it couldn't be. I knew him. I was him. I had thought so for the duration of our time together, now and from years before. The possibility of this notion being incorrect was presumable, but I would not give up on him._

'_Just answer the damn question, Heero. Do it for me.' _

_I had heard many romantic, eloquently descriptive answers to my question. Some of them were vivid, some supernatural…but none were merely logical. I could never connect with the words I was hearing. That would change._

_Heero suddenly switched his glance to me, softening his fierce expression into a more or less muddled perspective. Yet, he still remained completely calculated in every action, whether it was the look in his eyes or, as I was about to find out, his voice. "Trowa, I'm the last person you should be asking. That so, I can honestly tell you that I don't deserve to love anymore than you or anyone else. On the other hand, anyone who tries to tell you what love is from a logical standpoint won't be able to say anything at all. That said, it's unlikely that there's any purely logical definition. I would have to answer based on experience only."_

_He stopped talking briefly, fixing his eyes adherently to the floor. I had never seen an absent-minded look of any kind from this man. Deciphering its meaning didn't prove difficult, though. After all, he was just like me. I would still continue to hold that standard in my head, even if the man who stood in front of me was indeed nothing like me at all. Even if we were nothing alike, though, I was the only one who could sympathize with the inner-workings of his mind. I could read him, and easily._

_The vacant look was not of vulnerability. I knew that he would stop at revealing nothing about himself if he possibly could. No, this was much more serious. He was fighting against vulnerability, because he was no longer in control of his mental chaos. His dilated pupils divulged his plea to remain anonymous in this area of thought. I wanted to hear the latent confessions. No matter what the scenario, I would win._

_"Then tell me about your experience."_

_Surprisingly, it didn't take him long at all to begin speaking again. There are times when I can only observe his cold demeanor in awe. This rare candid moment of his is one of them. "From my experience? I don't really know. People usually just 'know' when they are in love. I've never had that assurance, and I doubt you have." I nodded. "The problem with people like us is that we didn't grow up with a family. And, even if we did, that time together would too far in the past to recall anything important. I think that people growing up knowing more about love than they think they do."_

_"You believe that when a child sees the love between its parents, it understands more itself…That's an interesting theory."_

_"If that's the case, there's not much hope for us, is there?"_

_As he said that, I found it remarkable that he could give up so nonchalantly on this mysterious force. I knew I wouldn't, not for as long as I lived, even if it constantly besieged and tormented me every step of the way. No, he wouldn't give up either. Even if the ability to love was only an ambitious dream for us soldiers, to have such a flaccid will would only prove that we are marked revenants of war. The Children's Crusade. We had survived physically, but perhaps not mentally…_

_"You're thinking about something."_

_The voice was his. I never expected him to continue the conversation, but I nodded. I was a little irritated that I had suddenly become the one answering my own question. That being the case, I didn't. "I'm surprised that you would let that be the case."_

_He slightly arched his eyebrow in response. He needed me to clarify. "You are strong, Heero, but I don't think you're that strong. You're not willing to completely shut yourself off from the rest of the world."_

"_I'm surprised you think that. Most people would think the exact opposite of me." He gave me a somewhat anemic glance in which to respond, but I refused to say anything. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to figure that out. Suddenly, he cracked a smile. "You're right, though. I really don't want to be alone."_

_That was the end of the conversation, because he got up and left the room. Oddly enough, I was happy that it stopped there. As much as I would've liked to know his actual experience with love, I was content with it not being revealed. When I asked him the question, I hoped for a conversation, and expected nothing. For now, I have what I want. But, of course, there will be plenty of opportunities for me to pry into his private life with time. I will have to be patient with this matter. Conversely though, I will take every opportunity that I get to figure out more._

_I like having a friend. Hopefully I'll be able to connect with my new team as well, even if it's not exactly in this way. Maybe then my life will be slightly closer to normal. Until then, though, I will continue to live my life as I always have._

_I leave for the Cinq Kingdom with my team in four days. Hopefully nothing goes wrong. Something always seems to go wrong there. This reminds me that I should send out a briefing to my team and Preventer officials. I think I'll start writing that right now._

* * *

As he finished rereading his journal entry from Tuesday, Trowa tucked away his laptop. At the moment, he was in a van with two people who wouldn't stop screaming, along with Heero and Millah, who would never speak. The combination annoyed him. He felt isolated. The fact that he was sitting alone in the back didn't help the situation much. He felt tempted to look out the window or read over the security check protocol, but he wasn't particularly enamored by nature, and he got carsick while reading.

He knew that the ride should be calming for him, but it wasn't. The conversation from Tuesday was still on his mind, and he wanted to talk to Heero more. Of course, he knew that Heero wouldn't say anything that he didn't say then, especially with three other people in the car. He had nothing to do, and it bothered him.

"Uh, Izzy…I think that's the exit we're supposed to take….IZZY!" The shrill came from Millah.

There was a sudden slam on the brakes as Trowa launched forward in his seat. The only thing impeding his bodies launch was his seat belt, which lashed him back into his seat. Millah shook her head. "Sorry…we could've gone to the next one…."

Trowa looked behind them. Luckily, it was 5:30 in the morning, leaving the highway barren. "We're already stopped. We might as well go."

Isabel nodded, turning the wheel methodically and looking straight ahead of her. She had never considered herself a great driver, but she wanted to improve her status with her boss. She would focus for the rest of the trip.

Heero had never stopped typing on his laptop. Trowa was interested in what he was doing on there, but couldn't see around the seat. He wanted to ask, though. _I've already asked him enough this week…I'll let him have his privacy._ He figured it was unlikely that Heero was doing anything interesting anyways. He let the matter escape his mind.

_The rational mind does exist,_ he thought to himself. _If not, how could we hide our true intentions with ones that make sense to others? How would we be able to lie so easily to cover up our feelings? And how would someone like me, completely void of feeling, live at all? Maybe I do have irrational tendencies, but I've never witnessed myself in an irrational move of any kind. Of course, maybe that just means that I have a rational mind. Maybe my only choice is the rational mind…but what about the others?_ Trowa looked around at his team, suddenly sitting quietly, busy with their own thoughts. _People always praise the rational mind for their bravery and ability to make decisions…but the same can be said of the irrational mind._ He then eyed Heero. He had always claimed to use nothing but logic when he needed to make decisions, but it couldn't be true. There was Libra. All of them knew that there was no tactical reason for that move. Trowa smiled. _Maybe they both serve a similar purpose anyways. _

"Hey, I think we're here now. Nice digs." Izzy walked around to slide the door for Trowa, Heero, and Millah.

"Wow." The awe emanated from Rashad's face. He had never seen such a glorious mansion in his entire life. The 40-foot solid gold gate was enough to send his mind through a spiral, but the marble fountain with encrusted diamonds left him speechless. The Cinq Palace had that kind of effect on people.

"It's still early. We shouldn't be waking anyone up yet." The comment came from Heero. "It wouldn't make a good impression of us as professionals."

"I agree." That came from Trowa. "We could read over the plans until it's an appropriate…."

He was stopped by Pagan at the gate. "Mister Yuy, so good to see you again! I wasn't aware that you were working for the Preventers! Hold on just a second…I'll let you in right away!"

Everyone was in stunned silence as Pagan ushered them through the gate. Never had any of them seen someone so alert and energetic at six in the morning, and a butler no less.

"So Mister Yuy, may I have the pleasure of making acquaintances with these fine people you brought with you?"

Heero wore that same solemn, stoic look on his face that seemed to make itself a regular occurrence. "These are my fellow Preventers; Millah, Rashad, and Isabel. This is my leading officer, Trowa Barton. He was also a Gundam pilot during the Eve Wars."

Trowa nodded and offered his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Pagan accepted. "The pleasure's all mine, Mister Barton. Now please, let me take you inside the palace. It's already quite busy in the Cinq Palace!"

As Pagan opened the door, there was a surprise waiting at the door for them. "Hello, Heero."

* * *

Well, that's the end of this one. I don't think it was too bad, considering that I lost my notes. Sorry about the wait though, I really have had tons of stuff to do. And none of it's done yet. But it won't be another month. Sorry.

Thanks to Princess and Jio for reviewing last chapter. Hopefully this one measures up to expectations!

Again, it will not be a month before next time. Expect the next chapter to be out in 3 weeks at the most.

Much love,

comet01


	7. Deception & Ascension

Hey, it's great to finally be back! My excuses for the hiatus are, well...stupid. I just want to make one thing clear before you read: I don't revise my stories. Ever. I don't even proofread chapters. I usually just write them on a whim and post them. However, I often sit at my computer for an entire day just to make sure the words come out in a somewhat appealing way. Anyways, I'm back! (Hopefully for good this time...) :(

Disclaimer: GW is not mine. 'Nuff said.

* * *

It didn't surprise Heero at all to see Relena on the other side of the door, although he was certain that she wasn't expecting him. Feeling that he had the upper hand, Heero stood calmly, with his eyes digging into hers. The look wasn't meant to be intimidating, but to help him focus on serving her in a proper, professional way. He was finding this duty to be particularly difficulty.

Finally, he dropped onto one knee, with his head hanging toward the ground. The words escaped him. "Ms Darlian, we're here on behalf of Lady Une to perform an annual security check on your estate." He found it proper to stand up after these words and, overtly focused his attention onto Trowa. "This is my commanding officer. He'll be overseeing the operation. If you must speak to anybody about your security or any other business while we're here, he's the one you need to talk to."

He stepped back. _Success._ Relena repressed her urge to giggle and opted for a warm smile instead. "Of course. I'm grateful for your generosity. Please, come in."

Heero knew the layout of Relena's estate, so he led the crew through it. It hadn't changed much since he and Quatre stayed there as undercover students. The place was still huge, regal, and shamelessly flaunted the riches of the royal family. Even though he didn't mind seeing Relena again, he wanted to finish this job as quickly as possible to avoid living there indefinitely.

When the team had a satisfactory tour of the place, Trowa corralled them into the banquet room. He handed all of them a folder. "Now that you've seen this place, you should all know the work that's ahead of us. However, unlike other security checks you may have performed in the past, this one's going to involve a lot more than just inspecting security units within the property. We're working with a woman that sincerely believes that she doesn't need security. She may need convincing if any servicing is required at all. That's why I'm allowing each of you to converse with Ms Darlian as you see fit. Don't abuse the privilege."

Nobody had anything to say. Izzy and Rashad were staring into space, and likely had no clue what Trowa had said. Millah was reading over the documents in the folder. Heero leaned against a wall nonchalantly. Trowa decided to finish his briefing. "If there are no questions, I would suggest starting in the north wing on the fifth floor. You can work your way downwards." The crew reluctantly nodded. "Now if you'll excuse us, Heero and I need to attend to some other business. I trust that you're capable of beginning without my supervision."

Izzy shot a disgusted look at Trowa. "What? Why doesn't Heero have to come with us? He should…." Before she could finish, Millah covered the girl's mouth and pushed her up the stairs. Rashad, trying desperately not to laugh, followed them. Trowa and Heero met eyes and took their leave in the opposite direction.

Trowa and Heero walked in silence down the corridors of the former Peacecraft Mansion. Not a word was spoken between the two until they reached the courtyard. As they stepped outside, the slight, summery breeze swept across their faces. The colorful array of flowers in the garden was almost enough to lift Trowa's neutral spirits. He'd never been particularly drawn to nature, but something about this post-war emphasis on preserving the planet's natural beauty had slowly drawn his attention to it. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Heero, kneeling down by the roses. He looked pensive. Trowa almost regretted the fact that he had to interrupt his moment in thought.

"Heero."

The younger man didn't move, and instead picked one of the red roses. He absent-mindedly stuck the rose in the back pocket of his jeans and continued to stare at the spot in the ground that the flower came from. His muscles were tense and his eyes were completely focused. His body remained in this position for another ten minutes, and Trowa continued to watch him, completely dumbfounded._ What on earth could he be thinking? _Trowa took a couple of steps away from the garden and positioned his body against a tree. When his back hit the trunk of the tree, the branches rattled and disturbed a nest. It was then that the younger man finally looked in his direction and cracked a smile. "Nice hat."

Trowa resisted the urge to laugh at his own expense, and it looked like Heero was doing the same. Trowa wouldn't immediately admit it, but he was thankful for that. "It's about time you responded to me. We have some important things to talk about."

"Fine," Heero stood up and faced Trowa. "but only if you take that nest off of your head. It's hard to take you seriously looking like that."

At the sound of Heero's husky voice, the birds jumped out of the nest and flew away. Trowa chose that moment to take it off of his head and place it on the ground. "This is going to seem like a stupid question, Heero…but do you know why we're here?"

Heero answered instantly, as if he had been expecting the question. "Not exactly, but I know it's not because of a simple security check. WuFei would've never wasted our time with something so trivial."

"That's the same conclusion I've reached." Trowa paused for a few seconds, choosing his next words wisely. Heero wouldn't appreciate the fact that there was no control over their current situation. However, that's all Trowa had to work with. He sighed. "Unfortunately, if something else is going on, WuFei isn't budging. He wouldn't deny the possibility of an exterior threat, but he refused to give me any further information. He said that it wasn't our job to worry about possible threats. That still doesn't override my concern, though."

Heero's eyes narrowed slightly. "In the event there is an unknown threat, we're going to have to find them as soon as possible. If they're anything like our previous adversaries, they'll know right where to find us."

"I agree. Until we can confirm our suspicions, we should try to lay low and come up with a preventative strategy. We don't want anyone getting hurt."

Heero folded his arms across his chest and scowled. _WuFei, you've really screwed us over this time. If you were capable of actually doing your job, I could do mine without a problem. Or maybe you know everything, and just aren't telling us….Whichever it is, something's not right. I will get to the bottom of it, believe me._

"Heero?"

His head snapped back into reality, despite his recent suspicions of WuFei. His anger would have to linger a little longer. "I heard you. What did you have in mind?"

Trowa nodded his head slightly. "I think one of us needs to keep a watch on Relena and Ms Noin personally. The other one could…."

"That won't work."

Even though he didn't show it, Trowa was taken aback by the instant rejection. "Why not?"

"There's no way Relena would allow that. If we approached her with that idea, she would accuse us of being bodyguards."

"Which goes against her philosophy that the world is at peace. I understand. But what other options do we have?"

The two stood in silence for several long minutes. Neither had an immediate response for Trowa's question, and, as the question had recently unearthed, they were both aware that their greatest obstacle in this potential mission would be Relena herself. Even though she no longer held a political office, she had an enormous amount of influence, and both of them knew it. They also knew that there were likely people who wanted her dead, something that she would never be talked into believing. The situation was tense for both of them.

"You're right, we don't have a choice." The voice was Heero's. "However, I know for a fact that we won't be able to convince her of that. I see only one solution."

Trowa's ears perked up. "I don't follow."

A devilish grin formed on Heero's face. "We trick her."

Trowa almost smiled at the response. _He already has an elaborate plan mapped out. I can't believe he beat me to it. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. _"I didn't even consider that as an option, but I suppose it's the only choice we have. I don't think she's going to be fooled easily, though."

"Of course not, but two heads are better than one. It's especially true when the two heads are yours and mine. We just need some kind of excuse to have one of us following her during the day. We could even switch off roles and correspond on the information gathered. The both of us are more than capable of lying and acting it off."

"You don't have to tell me that. I'm just wondering how either of us will get close to her without her asking questions. Unless…." Trowa stopped, hoping that Heero would fill in the blank.

He didn't. "Trowa…."

Trowa had to think on his feet, something he usually wasn't good at. He much preferred to have a plan laid out in his head. Lucky for him, his first idea was the best. "Unless we can get Ms Noin involved. Even if Relena doesn't believe in security, Noin does. She can help us come up with a diversion."

"Sounds good to me."

Trowa was a little surprised that Heero had no comments on the plan. _Usually he's poking holes in everyone's plans…why isn't he pointing out any weaknesses? Or does he actually think that this plan will work?_ Trowa dismissed that idea as an impossibility. _Perhaps he's just humoring me. _

Just as they had come out, the two young men walked back into the mansion silently, one behind the other. The younger man was walking in front, where Trowa could plainly see the red rose in his back pocket. He had almost forgotten that it was even there, and the emotions that it seemed to trigger in his comrade were still an intriguing mystery to him. He was even tempted to ask, but already knew that he wouldn't get a response. He'd have to do some prying if he ever wanted to know.

"Trowa?"

He hadn't even noticed that they were inside again, or that Heero had turned around. The lack of attentiveness disturbed him a little. "Is something wrong?"

Heero's shoulders sunk. "No, nothing's wrong. You looked a little concerned."

"Everything's fine. I was just thinking that I should check on the others. We were outside for over an hour. I want to make sure the official work is getting taken care of."

"Hn." Heero stared at nothing in particular. "If you don't mind, I don't think I'll be joining you."

"That's fine. I didn't expect you to. I'm only interested because it affects my job and my status within the organization. Do as you please."

"Good. I'll find Noin and explain our situation. If nothing else, we can get that taken care of. Just avoid Relena at all costs."

"Is that really necessary?"

Heero shrugged. "It's best to be safe. Noin might not cooperate, or provide us with little useful information. If we wait, we have more options."

"That makes sense. I'll leave the planning up to you." As the two men were about to part ways, Trowa quickly added, "Let's just hope that we're overreacting."

Heero was stopped in his tracks. "Trust me, we're not. Not a chance."

The uneasy words were the last as they parted ways.

* * *

For those of you who read this story last year, thank you for humoring me with your return. Hopefully I'm back for good.

comet01

* * *


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